One of the genealogy websites I use from time to time is MyHeritage. I’m not a paying member as I concentrate my resources mostly at Ancestry.com, but MyHeritage does allow limited access to their interesting photo enhancement tools as a way of sampling their many resources.
Last week the website introduced an amazing app and I just had to give it a whirl. It’s an animation tool called Deep Nostalgia – and it does the most unbelievable, weirdly wonderful thing to old photos – it brings them to life! Although I was only able to test a few photos, I thought the animation was extraordinary and at the same time strangely eerie, as if I was being introduced to ancestors who had passed away long before I was born.
Here are the links to two Genetti ancestors that I animated using Deep Nostalgia. I hope you find them as intriguing as I did!
The first animation is of Damiano Genetti (1857-1944). I uploaded the photo from Damiano’s 1922 American passport into the MyHeritage tool. Although my great-grandfather died thirteen years before I was born, his animation appeared so life-like as to be peering at me through the window of time. I also saw a strong resemblance to my grandfather (his son) as well as my own father reflected in Damiano’s stern but quizzical stare as he looked directly out from my computer monitor.
Damiano Genetti – Animation link: https://myhr.tg/1tGfxupA
The second animation was of Giuseppe Genetti (1862-?) – also known as Uncle Joe. Giuseppe was one of Damiano’s younger brothers. His life is a mystery as he appears to have vanished from public records sometime after 1910. Supposedly he left Pennsylvania to seek his fortunes in California and was never heard of again. The studio portrait of Uncle Joe was provided by Don and Joyce Lingousky. I’m sure they will be surprised to see their long lost uncle come to life! I found Uncle Joe’s animation strikingly different from Damiano’s. He seems to be directly questioning the viewer, perhaps wondering how he ended up in this strange animated state of being.
Giuseppe Genetti – Animation link: https://myhr.tg/1PxEiHeH
Tell me what you think of our ancestor animations. Leave a comment to this blog post and share your opinions!
The Genetti Family Genealogy Project 
Sorry, I don’t see the link, or it is not active.
Yes, the links are there Marlene. Scroll down the blog post and look for: Damiano Genetti – Animation link: https://myhr.tg/1tGfxupA and Giuseppe Genetti – Animation link: https://myhr.tg/1PxEiHeH. Both links are active – I just double checked them and I know other viewers are also clicking on them.
I liked the animations. Made the photos ‘pop’. Also notice the resemblance between Damiano and my grandfather, Raphelle.
We have been wondering for years where my son got his heavily hooded eyelids from. I never realized that Damiano had those same eyes until seeing the video! 🤯 So he has the same eyes as his great great great grandfather! 😲